Tetsugen, a devotee of Zen in Japan, decided to publish the sutras, which at that time were available only in
Chinese. The books were to be printed with wood blocks in an edition of seven thousand copies, a tremendous
undertaking....
continue...

Api tu khalu punah Subhute ye kulaputra va kuladuhitaro vemam dharmaparyayam udgrahisyanti dharayisyanti vacayisyanti paryavapsyanti parebhyas ca vistarena samprakasayisyanti, jnatas te Subhute Tathagatena buddha-jnanena, drstas te Subhute Tathagatena buddha-caksusa, buddhas te Tathagatena. Sarve te Subhute sattva aprameyam asamkhyeyam punya-skandham prasavisyanti pratigrahisyanti. Yas ca khalu punah Subhute stri va puruso va purva-ahna-kala-samaye Ganga-nadi-valuka-saman atmabhavan parityajet, evam madhya-ahna-kala-samaye Ganga-nadi-valuka-saman atmabhavan parityajet, saya-ahna-kala-samaye Ganga-nadi-valuka-saman atmabhavan parityajet, anena paryayena bahuni kalpa-koti-niyuta-satasahasrany atmabhavan parityajet; yas cemam dharmaparyayam srutva na pratiksipet, ayam eva tato nidanam bahutaram punyaskandham prasunuyad aprameyam asamkhyeyam. Kah punar vado yo likhitvodgrhniyad dharayed vacayet paryavapnuyat parebhyas ca vistarena samprakasayet.
Furthermore, Subhuti, those sons and daughters of good family who will take up this discourse on Dharma, will bear it in mind, recite, study, and illuminate it in full detail for others, they have been known, Subhuti, by the Tathagata with his Buddha-cognition, they have been seen, Subhuti, by the Tathagata with his Buddha-eye, they have been fully known by the Tathagata. All these beings, Subhuti, will beget and acquire an immeasurable and incalculable heap of merit. And if, Subhuti, a woman or man should renounce in the morning all their belongings as many times as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, and if they should do likewise at noon and in the evening, and if in this way they should renounce all their belongings for many hundreds of thousands of millions of milliards of aeons; and someone else, on hearing this discourse on Dharma, would not reject it; then the latter would on the strength of that beget a greater heap of merit, immeasurable and incalculable. What then should we say of him who, after writing it, would learn it, bear it in mind, recite, study and illuminate it in full detail for others?

Api tu khalu punah Subhute 'cintyo' tulyo 'yam dharmaparyayah. Ayam ca Subhute dharmaparyayas Tathagatena bhasito'gra-yana-samprasthitanam sattvanam arthaya srestha-yana-samprasthitanam sattvanam arthaya, ya imam dharma-paryayam udgrahisyanti dharayisyanti vacayisyanti paryavapsyanti parebhyas ca vistarena samprakasayisyanti, jnatas te Subhute Tathagatena buddha-jnanena, drstas te Subhute Tathagatena buddha-caksusa, buddhas te Tathagatena. Sarve te Subhute sattva aprameyena punya-skandhena samanvagata bhavisyanti, acintyena-atulyena-amapyena-aparimanena punya-skandhena samanvagata bhavisyanti. Sarve te Subhute sattvah samamsena bodhim dharayisyanti. Tat kasya hetoh? Na hi sakyam Subhute 'yam dharmaparyayo hina-adhimuktikaih sattvaih srotum na-atma-drstikair na sattvadrstikair na jiva-drstikair na pudgala-drstikaih. Na-abodhisattva-pratijnaih sattvaih sakyam ayam dharma-paryayah srotum vodgrahitum va dharayitum va vacayitum va paryavaptum va. Nedam sthanam vidyate.
Moreover, Subhuti, (1) unthinkable and (2) incomparable is this discourse on Dharma. (3) The Tathagata has taught it for the weal of beings who have set out in the best, in the most excellent vehicle. Those who will take up this discourse on Dharma, bear it in mind, recite, study and illuminate it in full detail for others, the Tathagata has known them with his Buddha-cognition, the Tathagata has seen them with his Buddha-eye, the Tathagata has fully known them. All these beings, Subhuti, will be blest with an immeasurable heap of merit, they will be blest with a heap of merit unthinkable, incomparable, measureless and illimitable. All these beings, Subhuti, will carry along an equal share of enlightenment. And why? (4) Because it is not possible, Subhuti, that this discourse on Dharma could be heard by beings of inferior resolve, nor by such as have a self in view, a being, a soul, or a person. Nor can beings who have not taken the pledge of Bodhi-beings either hear this discourse on Dharma, or take it up, bear it in mind, recite or study it. That cannot be.

Api tu khalu punah Subhute yatra prthivipradesa idam sutram prakasayisyate, pujaniyah sa prthivipradeso bhavisyati sadeva-manusa-asurasya lokasya, vandaniyah pradaksiniyas ca sa prthivipradeso bhavisyati, caitya-bhutah sa prthivipradeso bhavisyati. Api tu ye te Subhute kulaputra va kuladuhitaro veman evamrupan sutrantan udgrahisyanti dharayisyanti vacayisyanti paryavapsyanti yonisas ca manasikarisyanti parebhyas ca vistarena samprakasayisyanti te paribhuta bhavisyanti, suparibhutas ca bhavisyanti. Tat kasya hetoh? Yani ca tesam Subhute sattvanam paurva-janmikany asubhani karmani krtany apaya-samvartaniyani, drsta eva dharme taya paribhutatataya tani paurvajanmikany asubhani karmani ksapayisyanti, buddha-bodhim ca-anuprapsyanti. Tat kasya hetoh? Abhijanamy aham Subhute 'tite-dhvany asamkhyeyaih kalpair asamkhyeyatarair Dipankarasya Tathagatasya-arhatah samyaksambuddhasya parena para-tarena catur-asiti-buddha-koti-niyuta-satasahasrany abhuvan ye maya aragita aragya na viragitah. Yac ca maya Subhute te Buddha Bhagavanta aragita aragya na viragita, yac ca pascime kale pascime samaye pascimayam pancasatyam saddharma-vipralopa-kale vartamana iman evamrupan sutrantan udgrahisyanti dharayisyanti vacayisyanti paryavapsyanti parebhyas ca vistarena samprakasayisyanti, asya khalu punah Subhute punyaskandhasya-antikad asau paurvakah punya-skandhah satatamim api kalam nopaiti, sahasratamim api satasahasratamim api, kotitamim api koti-satatamim api koti-satasahasratamim api koti-niyuta-satasahasratamim api, samkhyam api kalam api gananam apy upamam apy upanisadam api yavad aupamyam api na ksamate. Sacet punah Subhute tesam kulaputranam kuladuhitrinam va-aham punyaskandham bhaseyam, yavat te kulaputra va kuladuhitaro va tasmin samaye punyaskandham prasavisyanti pratigrahisyanti, unmadam sattva anuprapnuyus citta-viksepam va gacheyuh. Api tu khalu punah Subhute 'cintyo 'yam dharmaparyayas Tathagatena bhasitah, asya-acintya eva vipakah pratikanksitavyah.
(1) Moreover, Subhuti, the spot of earth where this Sutra will be revealed, that spot of earth will be worthy of worship by the whole world with its Gods, men and Asuras, worthy of being saluted respectfully, worthy of being honoured by circumambulation, like a shrine will be that spot of earth. And yet Subhuti, those sons and daughters of good family, who will take up these very Sutras, and will bear them in mind, recite and study them, they will be humbled, well humbled they will be! And why? The impure deeds which these beings have done in their former lives, and which are liable to lead them into the states of woe, in this very life they will, by means of that humiliation, (2) annul those impure deeds of their former lives, and (3) they will reach the enlightenment of a Buddha.
With my superknowledge, Subhuti, I recall that in the past period, long before Dipankara, the Tathagata, Arhat, fully Enlightened One, during incalculable, quite incalculable aeons, I gave satisfaction by loyal service to 84,000 million milliards of Buddhas, without ever becoming again estranged from them. But the heap of merit, Subhuti, from the satisfaction I gave to those Buddhas and Lords without again becoming estranged from them compared with the heap of merit of those who in the last time, the last epoch, the last five hundred years, at the time of the collapse of the good doctrine, will take up these very Sutras, bear them in mind, recite and study them, and will illuminate them in full detail for others, it does not approach one hundredth part, not one thousandth part, nor a one hundred thousandth part, not a ten millionth part, nor a one hundred millionth part, nor a 100,000 millionth part. It does not bear number, nor fraction, nor counting, nor similarity, nor comparison, nor resemblance. (4) If mMoreover, Subhuti, I were to teach, the heap of merit of those sons and daughters of good family, and how great a heap of merit they will at that time beget and acquire, beings would become frantic and confused. Since, however, Subhuti, the Tathagata has taught this discourse on Dharma as unthinkable, so just an unthinkable karma result should be expected from it.